Report: Dodgers attendance in free fall

[marmar]

In a season already marred by embattled Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's financial problems, Opening Day violence outside Dodger Stadium and an underperforming, sub-.500 team, what else could possibly go wrong?

Well, now add this to the list of issues plaguing one of baseball's most storied franchises: A steep decline in attendance figures is likely to cost the Dodgers upward of $27 million in revenue by the end of the team's schedule, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Paid attendance has fallen by nearly 8,000 fans per game in 2011 at Dodger Stadium, the biggest drop-off of any of MLB's 30 franchises, the Times reported Sunday.

Compared to the Dodgers' $286 million in total revenues in 2009 -- tickets, parking and concessions -- this year the team is on pace for a reduction of a 9.4 percent or more, according to the newspaper.


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/6843186/los-angeles-dodgers-lose-27-million-due-attendance-decline-report-says

[jimbo3]

1. Going to a Dodgers game

is just not a pleasant experience anymore. Traffic getting up the hill is always bad, and there is a serious hoodlum presence inside the stadium itself. Think Raider fans wearing Dodger hats. Plus, the team is just not very good, 12 games out of first. Seeing the Angels play, 35 miles away, is a much better baseball experience at this point.

[KamaAina]

2. They literally can't GIVE tickets away!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=215&topic_id=183789&mesg_id=183789

:rofl:

[eagles55]

3. I watched the Phils on their recent road trip to LA.

I couldn't help but notice how Dodger Stadium looked like a boneyard attendance-wise.

[hughee99]

4. Who says the Dodger fans don't follow the team?

First the team goes into free fall, then the attendance. If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, nobody's going to stop them.

[Gemini Cat]

5. I have a brilliant suggestion for the Dodgers:

Come back to Brooklyn.

(Yeah, I'm sure they'll get on that real quick.)

[Jack Rabbit]

6. From a Giants fan, I am really sorry to see this

While openly hating them as a pre-teen Giants fan, I still wished that our team had their pitching and their front office. I guess we just couldn't swing that Stoneham for O'Malley deal.

Given that the Dodgers were such a class organization for so many years, and have so suddenly fallen so low, I hereby award to Frank McCourt the title George W. Bush of Baseball. Not even Gee Dubyah had such a sorry record as an owner. As far as harm to the game, McCourt even outdoes Bud Selig or the designated hitter.

[madinmaryland]

7. I agree with what you say. The Dodgers were the class act of MLB for years,

but what has happened the last several years is just mind boggling.

I do take issue with your DH comment. The Dodgers issue pales to what the DH rule has done to the game of baseball.

:hi: